Image forming apparatus

Abstract

An image forming apparatus capable of updating a program of data thereof, includes: a storage section for storing the data to be processed by the program; an investigation section for checking whether or not data of old format incompatible with a current program is present in the storage section; a conversion section for converting the data of old format in the storage section, into a format conforming to the current program, when the investigation section shows that the data of old format is present; and an image forming section for forming an image using the converted data.

1 . An image forming apparatus capable of updating a program of data thereof, comprising: 
 (a) a storage section for storing the data to be processed by the program;    (b) an investigation section for checking whether or not data of old format incompatible with a current program is present in the storage section;    (c) a conversion section for converting the data of old format in the storage section, into a format conforming to the current program, when the investigation section shows that the data of old format is present; and    (d) an image forming section for forming an image using the converted data.    
   
   
       2 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a notification control section for notifying a check result of the investigation section when the investigation section shows that the data of old format is present.  
   
   
       3 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising a conversion instruction receiving section for receiving an instruction for converting the data, 
 wherein the conversion section converts the data of old format to the format conforming to the current program, based on the conversion instruction received by the conversion instruction section.    
   
   
       4 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the conversion instruction receiving section is not displayed when the investigation section has indicated that there is no data of old format.  
   
   
       5 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein when the investigation section shows that the data of old format is present, a status of the apparatus is shifted to one where execution of a job using the data of old format existed in the storage section, is restricted but execution of other jobs is permitted.  
   
   
       6 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a job input receiving section for receiving a job inputted by a user;    a judgment section for judging whether or not the job utilizes data of old format incompatible with the current program when the job has been inputted by the user; and    a job restriction section for prohibiting the job to be inputted when the judgment section indicates that the data of old format is used.    
   
   
       7 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a job input receiving section for receiving a job inputted by a user;    a judgment section for judging whether or not the job utilizes data of old format incompatible with the current program when the job has been inputted by the user; and    an immediate conversion section for converting the data of old format used in the job, into a format conforming to the current program, when the judgment section indicates that the data of old format is used, wherein the image forming apparatus executes the job using the data converted by the immediate conversion section.    
   
   
       8 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the data of old format is left and the data converted by the immediate conversion section is deleted after the execution of the job using the data converted is completed.  
   
   
       9 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein when a power source has been disconnected during a conversion of the data of old format into the format conforming to the current program, the conversion is restarted from the beginning after the power source is recovered, and when the power source has been disconnected during a predetermined post-processing to be performed after the conversion is completed, the predetermined post-processing is restarted from the beginning after the power source is recovered.  
   
   
       10 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a job input receiving section for receiving a job inputted;    a judgment section for judging whether or not the job utilizes data of old format incompatible with the current program when the job has been inputted; and    a job restriction section for prohibiting the job to be inputted when the judgment section indicates that the data of old format is used.    
   
   
       11 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a job input receiving section for receiving a job inputted;    a judgment section for judging whether or not the job utilizes data of old format incompatible with the current program when the job has been inputted; and    an immediate conversion section for converting the data of old format used in the job, into a format conforming to the current program, when the judgment section indicates that the data of old format is used,    wherein the image forming apparatus executes the job using the data converted by the immediate conversion section.    
   
   
       12 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the data of old format is left unchanged and the data converted by the immediate conversion section is deleted after the execution of the job using the data is completed.  
   
   
       13 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the data to be processed by the program is image data.  
   
   
       14 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the investigation section operates when the program is rewritten.  
   
   
       15 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the investigation section operates at the time of start-up and initialization of the image forming apparatus.  
   
   
       16 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the program for serving the functions of the conversion section and immediate conversion section is included in an updated program.  
   
   
       17 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the investigation section checks whether or not the data of old format is present in the storage section, based on header information of the data and version information of a program.  
   
   
       18 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the investigation section checks by comparing version information in the header with version information of the program.  
   
   
       19 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the investigation section checks at the time of start-up after updating of a program.  
   
   
       20 . An image forming method using an image forming apparatus capable of updating a program of data of the apparatus, the method comprising: 
 (a) reading image data to be processed by the program;    (b) checking whether or not the image data is data of old format incompatible with a current program after updating the program;    (c) converting the data of old format into a format conforming to the current program, when the check result shows that the image data is the data of old format; and    (d) forming an image using the converted image data.